The demand for electrical power is increasing dramatically. The recent energy crisis in California is an indication of similar power shortages that will likely arise in the future across the United States. One way to mitigate this energy shortage is to make use of energy resources that already exist or will exist in the future in the form of small power generating systems, whether they be fuel cells, micro-turbines, solar and wind based electrical generating devices or other types of power generating systems designed to provide local power. Installation of alternative energy and clean energy power generation systems that are intended to be deployed on, in or near a user's premises or load requirements is increasing. The desire for clean energy and mitigating environmental impacts of conventional power generation facilities seem at odds with the needs of increased power production, and the associated adverse environmental impacts with conventional power plant siting, construction and operation. By constructing virtual power plants with many distributed nodes that generate clean energy and reduce or eliminate any adverse impact to the physical environment, the two seemingly incompatible public policy goals can be satisfied. Moreover, by harnessing numerous small units for collective operation and production, specific and coordinated energy inputs can be made into the electric power markets.
Local power production units, such as for example fuel cells, typically provide all or part of the electrical power needed for one or more users in a local area, either for primary or back-up purposes. The users can be a single residence or business, or there may be a localized group of residences or businesses using the power produced by one or more local power production units (“LPPUs”). In some cases, the LPPUs may also provide heat energy to local users and thereby increase the overall efficiency of energy use.
The LPPUs often are capable of producing more electrical power than is being used locally. For example, when an LPPU such as a fuel cell is installed at a residence, the fuel cell is typically sized to meet most or all of the residence's peak power requirement. During most of the day, the residence's power requirements are significantly less than the peak demand. Accordingly, there may be an excess of generating capacity during portions of the day, and this excess generating capacity can be used to produce power to be sold to utilities or other users.
One problem associated with net metering or private power producer arrangements is that the user generally does not have the resources to monitor its LPPUs and sell excess generating capacity to others. In many cases, the LPPU operation is controlled by local programmable site controller systems which require command execution at the local site level and house static program executable functions within the local environment. Moreover, the amount of excess generating capacity available from any one LPPU may not be sufficient to be used economically by a potential purchaser.
There is a need for an improved system and method for creating and operating an enhanced distributed energy network. This would allow owners or users of LPPUs, or others on behalf of or through users or owners, to aggregate the excess generating capacity available from a plurality of LPPUs and sell the excess capacity to the energy marketplace, energy buyers or other energy users. Aggregation of LPPUs into power generating nodes can offer other advantages, such as aggregation of fuel purchases to obtain better pricing and scheduling of routine and emergency maintenance. Other objects and advantages of the methods and systems described herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art based upon the description of the invention provided below.